Image – Photos by Flickr/Jnzl
Alocasia is a plant that receives different names: one is the one we just mentioned, but there are others like elephant ear or marquise that may sound more familiar to you. In any case, We are talking about a series of plants of the genus Alocasia, which usually have huge leaves and, for this reason, are often used to decorate interiors. The question we have to ask ourselves is whether or not it can be kept indoors, and under what conditions. Because? Because as it grows, it can take up a lot of space.
Even depending on the species, it will not need to develop a mature main stem to occupy a table about 1 meter long. I tell you from experience. Me Alocasia goii It’s very young, but it has so many leaves, and so big that they grow sideways, that everyone who sees it says the same thing to me: why not take it to the garden? My answer: it’s too pretty and delicate to be outside. (That she’s delicate isn’t quite true, but it sounds convincing). So I will explain how I take care of the alocasia I have inside.
What are the basic needs of the alocasia?
When we go to buy a plant, it is important that its basic needs are taken into account. It’s a way to avoid headaches, or even to do something wrong and lose it. Therefore, you should know that the alocasia requires four things: plenty of light (not direct), moderate watering, high air humidity and warm but mild temperatures.
In fact, a trick that can help us know if a plant is more delicate than others is to see the size of its leaves: if it is very large, like the ones our protagonists have, we will undoubtedly be dealing with a tropical one, which will suffer damage if we leave it outside in the middle of winter. Forks that for a plant to have these leaves, it needs warmth, stable temperatures, high humidity and frequent watering. That’s why, for example, in temperate forests, you don’t find plants that have such large leaves.
But back to the alocasias.
How to care for alocasia indoors?
The alocasia is a plant that what it will need most once it has been placed in its final location will be water and changing its pot from time to time. But we are going to explain to you in detail everything about the care we need to give it so that it grows healthy:
Where should it be placed?
As it is a plant that needs a lot of light but not direct, we’ll take her to a room with plenty of natural light. Ideally, it should be placed in a location where there are east-facing glass windows, as that is where the sun rises. But be careful: do not put it in front of the glass because if you do, its leaves will burn.
Another important detail you need to consider is how big your alocasia can get and how it should grow.. For example, the Alocasia macrorhiza (the common elephant ear) has a straighter carriage than the Alocasia goii, so it takes up less space, so it can be very interesting to put it in the living room, next to the sofa; the. goneii, on the other hand, would look best on a wide piece of furniture or in a large living room; the Alocasia amazonica It’s small and has a vertical port too, so feel free to put it on a narrow table.
What pot do you need?
Image – Wikimedia/David J. Stang
We said it needs frequent watering, but you don’t have to make the mistake of planting it in a pot without holes otherwise its roots would rot. In addition to this, as a substrate we must use a mixture of peat with perlite in equal parts, or look for a universal substrate that already contains perlite like this.
Since it is going to be indoors and it is not important that when watering we soil the furniture, we’ll put a plate under it. But it is important that after that we empty it. If we want, we can fill a bottle with this water and use it later for future irrigation.
When should you plant it in a bigger one?
It is a plant that grows quickly, so it is advisable to check at least once every 2 years if the roots come out of the drainage holesin which case it will be planted in one that is about four inches wider and taller than it has now.
The best time is spring.but since it is indoors, it can also be done in early summer.
How many times a week should I water the alocasia indoors?
Related article:
How to take care of Elephant Ear?
During the summer we water it a maximum of 4 times a week., provided that the substrate is dry to the touch and if when picking up the pot you notice that it weighs little. Soil moisture meters can be useful, but I advise inserting a thin wooden stick and seeing if a lot of soil has stuck to it when removing it from the pot, in which case we won’t have to water it because it will mean that it’s still wet.
The rest of the year and when the temperatures are low, space out the waterings. Nothing will happen to the alocasia if it is not watered for several days if the soil is moist. In fact, I myself had to stop watering for up to 3 weeks in the winter, because the soil needs more time to dry out. So check the condition of the soil from time to time to know when to water.
How to improve air humidity for alocasia?
As it needs very high humidity, it is important that we find out first if the one at home is or Nope. To do this, I recommend buying a home weather station like this here. Now, if you live on an island or near the sea, you can assume that’s the case, so you won’t have to do anything.
But if you are far away and/or in an area where the humidity is below 50%, your plants’ leaves will dry out if you do nothing. To avoid this, you will need to spray water once a day.
I repeat, because it is very, very important: if the humidity exceeds 50%, do not spray/spray with water. If this were to be done, the fungi would soon damage the plant. But, if it is lower, it will appreciate that we wet its foliage.
I hope this article will help you take better care of your alocasia indoors.